In the Netherlands the nature of Hinduism is different in
character to that assumed in other Western countries,
particularly Western Europe. In the United States and in
Canada it is dominated by Hindus coming mostly directly from
India, although there are also many native-born Hindus
feeling themselves at home in this tradition. In the United
Kingdom the Hindus coming from India predominate as well,
although there are also many others coming from other former
British colonies. The Hindus in Germany, Switzerland and
Norway are mainly Tamils coming from Sri Lanka, where they
fled from the civil war of the 1980s and 1990s. The
Netherlands is the only Western country where the Hindustani
Hindus originated from Suriname in the Caribbean
predominate. This gives Dutch Hinduism a special flavor
despite the presence of other much smaller groups, such as
those of the Tamil Hindus, also from Sri Lanka, and of the
autochthonous Hindus. The predominance of the Hindustani
Hindus with their Caribbean background makes the situation
in Holland of special interest. Nonetheless this study will
also pay attention to the other two groups and to the
interaction between these three strands of Hinduism.

Dr. Freek L. Bakker was assistant professor
in Hinduism and Buddhism, comparative religion and
interreligious dialogue at the Department of Philosophy and
Religious Studies of the Utrecht University. He retired on 1
February 2017. Since 1995 he concentrated his research on
Caribbean Hinduism.